Destruct-o-dog

We spent a lovely morning at the National Herb Centre this morning. They have a new addition to the children's playground there and it was great fun (plus they make very lovely cake!). I bought a few more herbs for our tubs as I've cleared out the remains of the salad leaves that had gone leggy. We spent quite a while in the garden tidying and planting (and unplanting, thank you Isabel). One of the holes that the dog has dug in the lawn got filled with water and paddled in.

The dog saw a cat and dashed into the planted area and started barking over the fence. He's trashing my garden. We need to cover the chicken wire fence so he can't see through and then he won't know when there's a cat there.

Terrible photo but there is one remaining anemone that he hasn't trampled to death and it's lovely to see it starting to flower just as the rest of the garden is settling towards autumn.

The climbing frame is ever popular. I did look out later to see Isaac with his bike at the top of the slide contemplating riding down it. Thankfully the idea was abandoned but it's only a matter of time before he tries it.

Remember the loo roll monsters? RIP buddy. The dog prizes cardboard tubes over anything else that isn't food.

The mission to move sand into every part of the house continues. I'm not entirely sure how this happened though...

Ride 'em cowboy

We've been roaming more parks (and finding them mostly deserted). Isabel had a lovely time riding the rocking bird with much vigour.

Isaac did lots of climbing, spinning and made his way across the monkey bars but then was too tired to walk back to the car.

The sand pit is very soggy at the moment but is all the more popular for it. The quantity of sand inside the house continues to rise.

Sometimes she seems so grown up. But sometimes she is still my baby - even if she's cuddling her own too.

A trip into town to run some errands meant a long pause at the horse both there and back. Two babies accompanied us sometimes riding on my back with Isabel, sometimes being carried and sometimes in the pocket of my pull along shopping trolley. She's getting her bottom canines at the moment and quite dribbly. She spends a lot of time gurning*.

Isaac tried to climb the horse (what else) and had a bit of an anatomy lesson - 'mummy where's it's bottom' was asked at a volume that only a 4 year old can manage.

And his response to 'we're going home now' was to climb where I can't reach (especially as Isabel was on my back by that point). He did come down without too much persuasion though.

* a good northern word - I don't know if they still do gurning championships or not but it's worth googling images if you're not aware of the practice.

A start

I've been wanting to have a go at the log cabin stitched straight onto the wadding that's in Patchwork Style for ages but not got round to it. I'm trying to get a Princess and the Pea inspired toy together for a birthday in a couple of weeks and figured this was a good project to try this and other quilting ideas as I need a whole load of mattresses.

As with anything (cooking, sewing etc) I look at the instructions and then figure I can change them to something just slightly different (in this case a square to a rectangle) and then have to try a few things to see if it will work. I didn't get the order right on some of the pieces and it's actually a bit too regular in shape for my liking (there's a first, I did something too neat!) but I like the overall effect and will definitely use this on a full size quilt at some stage.

Tidy up

A boy in a bed means the back bedroom needed a big sort out. So the kids and Matthew went off to play in our friend's garden and feed their fish while they're away but it rained so they did some crafting instead.

Isabel loves to bounce. And now baby has to bounce too. She will sit on the cushions with baby and bounce baby up and down on her legs but when it came to doing it for real baby kept falling off if she wasn't held so under the arm it went.

A once in a blue moon view. Look there's a table under there! Irony is I can't do any sewing as there's a boy in there now.

You can be as prepared as you like

But if they won't wear the waterproofs (or boots or even shoes) then you're going to have a lot of wet (and sandy) clothes.

Lots of them.

One lot from playing in the sandpit in that few minutes it took to pack the things we needed to go out. One lot from whilst we were out (well two really but a damp bum from swings isn't going to do anyone any harm so was left). And then a small girl went puddle dipping in the garden when we got home too.

It's been wet here in case you hadn't gathered.

Taste and see

Fruit bowls up and down the land look like this when you have a toddler in the house...

The clean washing that I put on the stairs ready to go up was repurposed for other things... She's not very happy as her brother had just grabbed her baby off her back and she was still complaining.

A big chunk of bubble wrap provided entertainment for a while - although the boy wanting to have it all made for complaints from the girl. It's been that sort of a day today.

The bits on the rug are where the dog has been chewing up bits of cardboard - mostly toilet rolls that were being used for crafting (no monsters have been harmed).

Sand has been everywhere.

Turn ups provide a handy storage space ready for spreading it over soft furnishings. (And yes Nicky they are your trousers!)

Isaac requested smoothie at about 10am. I finally got chance to make it at about 2pm. He had 2 mouthfuls and then pushed it aside but Isabel loved it. She carried the cup around with her and finally discarded it when something more interesting caught her eye. The cup is no more - the dog quite liked the smoothie too.

I had helpers in making dinner. He chopped and peeled (the peeling was very precise and he will be invited to do it again).

She stirred (and slopped over the newly cleaned cooker).

Isaac is coming back into the big bed tonight. He didn't like it he says in the other bed, he was lonely.

**EDIT** nope he's gone to bed in his own bed again

It's a big un

But of course he went to the top.

Sleep

There have been some funny sleep things going on this week - waking at 4 (son), working all night (husband), not asleep till 10 (daughter) and last night a request for his own bed. So tonight he was offered to go to sleep in his own bed. He said yes and tried valiantly but as he had a nap this afternoon he's still wide awake now (8.30). He seems happy in the bed though so we'll see what happens.

I made another batch of brownies with yet another different recipe (I use Nigella if I can but it depends if I can get to the computer or not). I was short on eggs so used a ripe banana in place of the missing egg and I think if anything it's an improvement! Chocolatey but with the subtle hint of banana and lovely and moist. Everyone seems to like it.

Up and down and up again

We went to Broadway Tower today and had a lovely time climbing lots of stairs (with and without small children being carried) and both children did a mix of walking and being carried. In general Isaac wanted to be carried more than Isabel - she is enjoying that feeling of freedom that comes with independent walking and is bullish in her determination to make her own way in the world. She still likes her cuddles though. Isaac's brewing a cold and hasn't been well for the last couple of days so wanted lots of time on my back - except when he wanted to run.

We said hello to the red dear. Isaac usually greets animals and people alike by saying, 'hi it's me, Isaac'. You can see him waving and saying hello to the stag.

Isabel is mostly eating off my plate at the moment by choice so I didn't get her her own ice cream and was intending to share mine with her. She had other ideas.

She marched the length of Chipping Camden high street and back entertaining all who saw her.